State Of Our Union/Two Fisted Tales Reviews
The Long Ryders are very pleased that Cherry Reds work on the deluxe 3CD reissues of Two Fisted Tales and State Of Our Union has garnered sterling reviews across the board.
Shindig Magazine had this to say…
The Long Ryders flew the flag of alt-country years before such a description had even been coined. Influenced by Gram Parsons and The Byrds they wore their love of country on their sleeves but gave it a tougher edge whilst still holding true to the roots of the genre. Kicking off with the classic howl and jangle of ‘Looking For Lewis And Clark’ and encompassing odes to trains, trucks and radio stations State Of Our Union encompasses traditional country themes whilst addressing politics and philosophy along the way…
…Two Fisted Tales ramps up the rock quotient somewhat and is musically a far harder-edged album, which at times swerves away from the unit’s original mission statement. The hopped-up Bluegrass of ‘The Light Gets In The Way’ however shows hints of the style that Sid Griffin would adopt in his later work with The Coal Porters and ‘For The Rest Of My Days’ takes Nashville by the throat and gives it a good shaking. That said there is still room amongst the raunch for solo swirls, Byrdsian chime and the pastoral psyche of ‘Baby’s In Toyland’.
The re-mastering on these releases is superb and both of the albums sound crisp and clear, each of the releases comes with dozens of extra tracks (the crunchng studio out-take of Davie Allan & The Arrows ‘Blues Theme’ a particular treat) comprising B-sides, each album’s original demos and live shows from the era, of which the set from The Oasis Water Park in Palm Strings is a beast.
(There is also a BIG, six page, Long Ryders article from Stewart Lee in this months Shindig! Magazine, featuring interviews with all of band. Its on sale now in shops and also digitally at shindig-magazine.com)
Record Collector…
The Long Ryders combined the country-rock of The Flying Burrito Brothers, the jangle of The Byrds and Chuck Berry’s rock’n’roll licks with the energy and snarl of The Clash. Having been a hit on US college radio and in the music press with their excellent debut Native Sons, they signed to Island and released State Of Our Union (1985) which should have been their breakthrough. Its failure was no reflection of its quality, from the howling, righteous anger of near-hit Looking For Lewis & Clark to the spiritual (rather than political) patriotism of State Of My Union and The Flamin’ Groovies referencing Lights Of Downtown shine. Some may prefer the rawer demo versions on Disc Two while an incendiary show from Harlesden’s Mean Fiddler on Disc Three reminds us what a fantastic live band they were.
And finally this from Classic Rock Magazine…
When LA’s Long Ryders first came to the UK from their relatively ambivalent homeland blending western themes, punk attitude, psychedelic tinges and very strong haircuts, a mutual love affair was ignited. By 1985, their stomping, garage hardened single Looking For Lewis And Clark had put them in the lower reaches of the singles chart.
Thats one of the many tracks in the three-CD box set of their second album, State Of Our Union that has retained the same indignant punch today, plus the kind of jangly Rickenbacker guitar solo that saw them lumped with the west coast Paisley Underground scene. The Byrdsy beauty of Lights Of Downtown reminds you of how slightly artsier fellow travellers REM took similar influences and conquered the world whereas the Long Ryders didn’t get the breaks. By 1987 and Two Fisted Tales, their final album (although they’re re-forming for a new one next year), major label pressure had softened their sound slightly, in contrast to blazing demo versions of Gunslinger Man and Prairie Man and the strikingly poignant Harriet Tubman’s Gonna Carry Me Home….
…The Long Ryders weren’t appreciated enough in their time, but these reissues provide a reminder, from an era when ‘Americana’ wasn’t even a word, that they left an enduring and important legacy.
Read these and other reviews here.
The two box sets are available from Cherry Red via: State Of Our Union, 3CD Boxset / Two-Fisted Tales, 3CD Boxset
